A bitter loss to ASU hasn’t deterred the Arizona football team on the recruiting trail.
The Wildcats have received verbal commitments from three athletes in the past two days, one from defensive end Louis Holmes’ former linemate in junior college.
Will Tukuafu chose the Wildcats over five other Pacific 10 Conference schools and Brigham Young Sunday night in Mesa.
A 6-foot-4, 275-pound strongside defensive end, Tukuafu lined up opposite Holmes at Scottsdale Community College in 2005.
“”I try to not to compare myself to Louis, but I feel we’re really similar in the way that we like to do moves and things like that,”” he said in a phone interview yesterday.
Tukuafu said he rebuffed California, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State and even the Sun Devils because Tucson gave family members in Salt Lake City the best access to him.
He intends on giving them three years to watch him compete, as he redshirted at Mesa Community College this season.
“”That way, I don’t blow another year playing junior college,”” he said. “”I’ll be a three-year guy as a transfer to a university. Then I can avoid any injuries and primarily focus on my studies and classes.””
Tukuafu, who intends to major in business, was recruited by UA linebackers coach Tim Kish, who also secured Glendale kicker Alex Zendejas last week.
He said he considers his main strengths to be his initial push after the snap and his reactions to offensive linemen.
“”All the coaching staffs, they just said I’ll be able to help them be a better team and be a guy to put them over the edge,”” he said.
Tukuafu plans to enroll at Arizona in January and said he hopes to crack the starting lineup by the fall.
His goals are to see the Wildcats earn a Pacific 10 Conference championship and play for the BCS title, plausible goals in his view given Arizona’s young talent.
“”If you can be part of a program like that, you got to be fired up,”” he said.
Arizona also received commitments yesterday from Pfluggerville, Texas, running back Joseph Reese, brother of freshman wide receiver Terrell Reese, and Honolulu offensive lineman Sione Tau.
Tau, a 6-foot-6, 284-pound tackle, is rated as the No. 3 prospect in Hawaii, according to Rivals.com, a recruiting Web site.
With quarterback Bryson Beirne also in tow, the Wildcats have verbal commitments from two of the top six players in the Aloha State.
Arizona now has 10 athletes who have verbally committed to join the team next season. Those commitments are nonbinding until athletes sign national letters of intent Feb. 1.
